Overview

Kelly M. Cardin has dedicated her career to representing employers in a broad range of employment-related disputes. She is a sought-after litigator who handles cases involving complex and cutting-edge employment law issues, while also frequently litigating against claims of discrimination, harassment and retaliation. Kelly defends employers in class and collective actions involving wage and hour issues, including those related to pay frequency claims under New York state labor law.

Kelly is also a trusted advisor to clients on novel employment law issues, including pay transparency laws – an area in which she has developed a practice in cross-jurisdictional compliance and is a frequent writer and speaker. In addition, she conducts pay equity analyses and workplace investigations.

She represents clients before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, in state and federal court, and in arbitration. She also regularly handles agency matters before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the New York State Division of Human Rights, the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, and the Department of Labor.

Prior to joining Littler, Kelly was a shareholder with an international labor and employment law firm where she was co-chair of their pay equity practice group.

Professional & Community Affiliations

Member

Connecticut Bar Association

Member

Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM)

Member

Westchester Women’s Bar Association

Member, Editorial Advisory Board

Law360

2024

Recognition

Named, The Best Lawyers in America®

2025

News, Analysis & Press

Paid time off for pregnant women could go national as work movement, led by New York

CNBC

May 12, 2024

Clean Slate Laws Are Spreading

SHRM

March 25, 2024

4 Trends To Watch As Changes In Equal Pay Law Unfold

Law360

March 11, 2024

New York’s New Inventor Protections Might Spawn Similar Laws Across Country

Corporate Counsel

January 25, 2024

Prenatal Care Paid Time Off New Frontier In Leave

Law360

January 11, 2024

Speaking Engagements

2024 Tri-State Regional Employer Conference

New York, NY

September 19, 2024

3 Questions About Biden’s New Paid Leave Proposal

Law360

March 14, 2024

What’s the Range? Pay Transparency Laws on the Rise

Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive, Phoenix, AZ

November 9, 2023

The Latest on Pay Transparency Laws

ACC Sports and Entertainment Network

January 17, 2023

Restrictive Covenants: Avoiding Entanglements

National Association of Women Lawyers, Eighteenth General Counsel Institute, New York, NY

November 2022

#MeToo in 2022 (and Beyond)

Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive, Colorado Springs, CO

September 22, 2022

The Rise of Pay Transparency Laws and Strategies for Cross-Jurisdictional Compliance

Workplace Strategies Seminar, Phoenix, AZ

May 6, 2022

Education

  • J.D., Cornell University Law School, 2011
  • M.A., University of Chicago, 2006
  • B.A., University of Rhode Island, 2002magna cum laude

Bar Admission

New York
Connecticut
Massachusetts

Courts

  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
  • U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut